This dressing is so refreshing! One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can go off the beaten path with it. By tweaking a few things here and there, you can really hit what your palate wants. Maybe its a little more dill, maybe a little more spice. Whatever it is, we are sure you are going to enjoy it!

All you need is a few minutes in Mom's Garden and a Nutribullet or other blender. Note, this recipe makes a large double batch, so feel free to cut the ingredients in half if you'd like.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups chopped tomatoes

1 medium cucumber, chopped

¾ cup water [more to reach desired consistency]

¼ cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion

¼ cup raw cashews

¼ cup raw almonds

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice [or juice from 1 medium lemon]

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill [or 1 teaspoon dried dill]

1 tsp onion powder

1 pitted medjool date or 2 deglet noor dates

4 cloves garlic [or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder]

1 dash black pepper

crushed red pepper for spice [optional]

Instructions:

Add all ingredients and blend in a high powered food processor such as the Vitamix, Ninja, or Nutribullet until smooth.

Don't just save this recipe for the fall season; we enjoy this delight all year-round. Crowd favorite and definitely a hit with the kids as well! It gets cleared out at every event we bring it to. I love sharing plant-based love!

You guys, this recipe. We had house guests and it was devoured in 15 minutes! You can make it as spicy (or not spicy) as you'd like.

Pictured: Serve with carrots, cucumber, and toasted sprouted grain pita (sprinkled with Mrs. Dash's original blend seasoning). To make into a dressing for salads, simply add more soy/almond/cashew milk or water.

Ingredients:

1 cup soft or silken tofu, drained [organic + non-GMO preferred]

¾ cup unsweetened original soy, almond, or cashew milk [less to make a thicker dip]

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a high powered food processor/blender [we use a NutriBullet 900 series] and blend until smooth.

Serve chilled.

Notes

*Tahini is ground sesame seeds into a butter/paste. Most widely used as an ingredient in hummus. This can be found in health food stores and most grocery stores in the health market and/or ethnic sections.

Macais a root vegetable [from the broccoli family] grown in Peru. One of the greatest parts of maca root is that is has some ability to regulate, support, and balance the hormonal systems of both men and women for optimal function. Hellooooo potential increased sex drive!

Taste is sweet and a *little* bitter. Such a great addition to smoothies [my fave] and muffins/cookies.

*NOTE: do not consume maca root while pregnant.

Raw Cacao Powderlooks near identical to baking cocoa powder but is significantly less processed/heated. This makes for the perfect substitute.

With all of these things taken into consideration, raw cacao is our choice. We add it to smoothies, oatmeal, muffins, black bean brownies, banana bread cookies, and mix it with raw almond butter to spread on apples.

This tasty condiment is so versatile that it can be used to replace both sour cream and mayo!

Mrs. Love Chard and I have enjoyed it on Nutritarian paninis, creamed cucumbers, a topper for loaded baked sweet potatoes, an addition to a hearty bowl of taco salad, as a cream for soups, and have added ground cayenne or hot sauce of choice to make spicy mayo for sushi.

We also love using this as a base for homemade salad dressings: blend with fruit, vinegar, spices, and herbs.

Ingredients:

1 package [12-14 ounces] organic soft* tofu

½ cup raw cashews**

2 tbsp lemon juice + a little lemon zest if you wish

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 heaping tbsp mustard, any variety [we like spicy brown or Dijon]

⅛ tsp onion powder

1 pinch garlic powder

1 dash black pepper

1 dash ground cayenne pepper, optional

Water [as needed to reach desired consistency]

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender/food processor [we use our Nutribullet] and blend until creamy.

Notes:

*If using firm or extra firm, simply add some water until desired consistency.

**If you would like to restrict your nuts or have a nut allergy you can replace cashews with an even amount of cooked beans or do a combination of both. This is a common practice at Love Chard HQ. [chickpeas/garbanzo beans are our fav!]

Sweet potatoes, chickpeas, sesame seeds with a twist of curry and cumin.

Perfection.

Enjoy with raw vegetables, as a salad topper, in a wrap, spread over toasted whole sprouted grain Ezekiel bread… or seriously just by itself with a giant spoon. No serving size here… enjoy to satisfaction!

Sweet Potato Hummus

Author: Bethany Stec

Ingredients

2 cups chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1½ cups cooked sweet potato

1 tablespoon raw tahini*

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 cloves garlic

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

⅓ cup water**

Instructions

Combine all ingredients into a high powered food processor.

Blend until smooth.

Top with a few extra sesame seeds.

Notes

*Tahini is sesame seed paste. This can be found in most grocery stores either in their health food department or ethnic food aisle.**Use more water if needed to reach desired consistency.